


NOTES on Devotion, A Raistlin/ Dalamar Romance

by IsabelleMajere



Category: DragonLance
Genre: M/M, Other: See Story Notes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 20:23:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11676423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsabelleMajere/pseuds/IsabelleMajere
Summary: Notes and Ramblings on the AU Dragonlance world of my fanfic, Devotion





	NOTES on Devotion, A Raistlin/ Dalamar Romance

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I have any claim to Dragonlance or the Dragonlance characters, and I make no money whatsoever from this fanfiction.  
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Miscellaneous AU World and Character Notes (and general ramblings…) 

  
  
For my Alternate Universe (AU) Dragonlance world I am treating all of the books and stories in canon, more or less, as “myths and legends” which, while containing a great deal of “truth”, are full of “exaggerations and errors”. To me this is the easiest way to make all the changes I want, plain and simple! After all, we only have to look into recent history in our own world to find many contradicting “facts”. Rumour and gossip and slander are considered “truth” until we find a diary, or an email, or someone comes forward with a testimony, etc. and then the “truth” suddenly changes. Later it might change back or become something different entirely...  
  
I feel like it makes sense to blame Raistlin’s enemies in the Conclave for the vast majority of the negative “errors” which cause discrepancies with my AU “truth”. For example, saying that Raistlin caused Dalamar’s chest wound when it was “really” Ladonna’s doing (under Par Salian’s guidance). Again, we can easily refer to our own history and even current events to see how often such slander becomes “truth”.  
  
For me, “anything goes” in AU fanfic, though I tend to prefer fics which stick pretty closely to the characters’ canon personalities and to the original world, and I’m trying to write this way, as well. Yes, I’ve changed and will continue to change some rather “big” plot points, but I’m only making changes that fit the story I’m trying to tell. I’m writing “Devotion” because I LOVE it and I’m sharing it online in hopes that it will bring similar joy to a few others. But _I would still write it even if I were the only person left in the entire world. :)_

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I fell in love with Raistlin Majere in the autumn of 1996, having always had a soft spot for angsty, misunderstood anti-heroes. I believe we all have that part within ourselves, to a smaller or larger degree, which explains why Raistlin is such a popular character. Many of Raistlin’s fans are in love with him and many seriously identify with him and/or want to “be” him. I would have to say I fall into the “all of the above” category! My main purpose in writing “Devotion” is to give Raistlin a “true love” romance. I’m a rather introspective person who is very much into self-development, and I’ve realized that I’m soothing and healing the injured parts of myself by writing this story; by giving love to this extremely “unlikeable” character. There are large parts of my own heart and soul in this story, both in Raistlin and in Dalamar, and bringing them together is symbolic, to me, of the union between lower and higher self. (Ok, yes, I’m a total weirdo who studies and loves philosophy, religion, and metaphysics. Just so you know…!)  
  
Several years ago I began writing a fanfic with an OC who was not terribly unlike myself but shortly thereafter I read Skullbearer’s “Ivory and Ebony” series. Her stories made me realize that, in my heart at least, Raistlin could only ever form a lifelong emotional and physical bond with Dalamar. My story is very different from those, but they inspired the heck out of me and introduced me to slash fic, for which I will be forever  
grateful! I do enjoy many other Raistlin fics and (non-incest) pairings, for fun, but this is the “real” one, to me, and my heart is in this story, really and truly. This story is also on my skin, in the form of a large tattoo on my left forearm. I drew it back in February of this year (2017) based on the  
garden scene in Chapter 9, then I wrote the “flowers in the vase” section of Chapter 10 (in May) when the tattoo was almost finished.  
  
**Raistlin and Crysania in the Abyss (Legends)**  
  
I’ve touched on this a bit in Chapter 4 when I introduce Crysania. She and Raistlin DID come together in order to block Takhisis from entering the world, but “Legends” is far more literal and exaggerated than my AU “truth”. They did not literally (with their physical bodies) go back in time, or to the Abyss. They did a very complicated, lengthy, and dangerous ritual to seal the portal, and (as of the time I’m writing this) I’m leaving it rather vague as to the specifics of what happened. Both Raistlin and Crysania came out of the ordeal very weak and damaged, both physically and emotionally, but they both recovered. They also formed a strong bond of friendship because of their shared experience.  
  
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By the way, Raistlin never tried to “become a god” in my AU. I really think that’s just a preposterous storyline. I’m not saying that “canon Raistlin” would not have _eventually_  
attempted something like that, but he would have first taken over the Conclave and then the world, in my VERY strong opinion, before he moved on to aspirations of godhood. In addition, he had only been at the Tower in Palanthas for a few short years and I think he would still have been working through the vast number of spellbooks and artifacts that had supposedly been locked within the Tower for millennia. This is basically what he’s been doing so far in “Devotion”, quietly building his knowledge and power. (Remember, Master Theobald’s school was not a top-notch learning institution by any stretch, so much of what Raistlin learned was on his own and due to his high level of talent. He is a perfectionist, and very thorough, so I think a few years devoted primarily to studying and experimenting with ancient magical secrets fits very well with his character.)  
  
As most of us know, Dragonlance has always been a “product”, first of TSR (to supplement their main product, which was D &D) and then of WOTC, and NOT, first and foremost, the property of the authors . There are way too many simplifications within Dragonlance that were almost surely put there to make it work with the D&D rules, e.g. mages not allowed to train with weapons at all, supposedly because they were required to devote all their time to their magic, but there are various mages in DL who also run businesses which would surely require more of a time investment than the occasional lesson in fighting technique. That makes sense in a game because you can’t have characters with ridiculous abilities, but not so much in a believable story.

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**Raistlin and Caramon**  
  
As of this writing, July 2017, I have not really developed or even mentioned Raistlin’s relationship with his brother in my story. My general feeling is that they have a lot of differences and could never again live together nor spend large amounts of time together, but they most certainly love each other and help each other out. I think I will keep Raistlin’s “I have no brother” statement from Legends, but it will be a ruse, perhaps to keep Caramon and his family safe from Raistlin’s own enemies. Caramon and Tika WILL appear in a future chapter of “Devotion”!  
Personal note: My mother and her sister are fraternal twins with a very similar relationship to Caramon and Raistlin. My mom is the overprotective (smothering!) one, as my aunt has always been smaller and  
weaker, with various health problems since birth. My aunt is the more intellectual one. They have a rather volatile relationship. Sometimes they are the best of friends and sometimes they go for weeks without speaking. So I will have plenty of insight when it comes to writing about Raistlin’s relationship with Caramon when the story gets to that point. :)  
  
Life in the Tower of High Sorcery at Palanthas  
Robes: In day-to-day life, Raistlin and Dalamar both wear "normal" clothes most of the time - "medieval/fantasy style" shirts, breeches, boots (or shoes, perhaps) and they only wear robes and/or cloaks in three situations:  
  
1) For warmth - the climate in Palanthas is relatively comfortable, but the Tower is very tall, so it would surely be cold in the upstairs hallways. I'm guessing that they would wear that extra layer when they are not in a room with a lit fireplace.  
  
2) During rituals, of course.  
  
3) In public or formal situations - like when Raistlin is out in Palanthas, at the Council meeting, etc. AND in the Tower when he is meeting with Zielle and Andreyis. He always wears his formal robes and carries the Staff of Magius at times like this. (Same with that first meeting w/Dalamar.) I think Crysania's visits would generally be "informal" since she and Raistlin are very good friends in my version of things.  
  
In their normal workday it doesn't make sense that they would always wear robes. I think that’s another oversimplification in canon, maybe because it looks good in the cover art and the miniatures, and makes it easy to distinguish mages from other characters. However, The long, bulky robe sleeves would be too cumbersome in the garden, for example, or especially in the laboratory where they could knock things over and catch the sleeves on fire. Also, Raistlin would probably keep the Staff near him but would not always carry it. I think, for example, that he would be comfortable leaving it in his study as long as he was in the upstairs part of the Tower. I believe it's in canon that he can easily summon the Staff to himself, as well.  
  
**This is another practical concern (and totally out of my own head, lol!) but I think they would often have their (gorgeous!) long hair pulled back away from their faces while working, perhaps in a basic tail but I can also imagine Raistlin adopting some of the simpler "side-braid" hairstyles of the elves (I imagine styles similar to the Tolkien elves in the movies.) Dalamar might sometimes wear fancier styles.  
  
  
**Servants:** As I wrote in Chapter 4: “Considering Raistlin’s high standards, and his refusal to waste magic on mundane chores, it would have been impossible to maintain the inhabited areas of the Tower without help. Practically no one would have been willing to serve there, aside from gully dwarves (of which there were, in fact, three) but a few otherwise competent individuals in “unique” situations had agreed to the Master’s generous but binding contract: reasonable workload, sumptuous living conditions, as much excellent food as they could eat…and an understanding that they would never again pass the borders of Shoikan Grove...alive. A servant of the Tower was a bound servant for life. This unusual crew maintained the lower floors, the kitchen, and the gardens.”  
  
I’m thinking that the type of people who would agree to a lifetime of confinement within the Tower grounds would probably be those in trouble with the law or with a price on their head from some other unsavory situation, or those who simply needed to “disappear” for various other reasons. Raistlin would, of course, thoroughly check the background of any potential employees and then clearly outline the dire consequences of any disloyal activity. “My” Raistlin has often been, thus far, more relaxed than canon Raistlin, but this can largely be attributed to the fact that he has made the Tower his home and feels more comfortable there than anywhere else in his life up to that point. He would not hesitate, however, to deal harshly and swiftly with anyone who crossed him. He would kill a disloyal servant in a heartbeat.

  
**Wealth:** Life in the Tower is very comfortable, as both Raistlin and Dalamar enjoy high-quality clothing and furnishings, and Dalamar has quietly encouraged his master’s natural affinity for the finest food and drink. That’s not to say that they are always indulging themselves. Magic is difficult and requires frequent periods of hardship - fasting before rituals, sleep deprivation, temperature extremes, etc. so it makes sense that they would demand the finest of everything in their daily life. They also both grew up with very little in the way of material possessions or comfort, which would also probably heighten their appreciation of such things.  
  
(Note:Raistlin loves wine and mead but never drinks to excess. He often drinks mulled wine instead of tea for his cough but the heat destroys most of the alcohol. He may allow himself to get a little “buzzed” on occasion but would never approach the point of losing control in any way. Dalamar has no such inherent compunctions but has given up all forms of debauchery as a show of loyalty to Raistlin and a means of proving himself.)  
  
The means of acquiring the necessary wealth to fund their lifestyle came from two main sources - the Tower itself and Dalamar. When Raistlin claimed the Tower it already held many breathtaking antiques in addition to the books, scrolls, and artifacts, and I can imagine that there might have been some “treasure” as well, perhaps money and jewels. Dalamar also had also accumulated a considerable amount of treasure during his travels after the Silvanesti cast him out (I’m referring to the canon novel “Dalamar the Dark”) and in my AU he offered it to Raistlin along with his allegience when he finally confessed his role as Conclave spy. (I may write a flashback scene about this eventually.) So, they had a great deal of wealth between them, which Raistlin has multiplied by his various business dealings in Palanthas.  
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If you love Devotion, please check out Elena Zambelli's illustrations of the story on DeviantArt: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Raistlin-and-Dalamar-fanfic-Devotion-693343301

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**I will be adding to this document in the form of future "chapters"...**

Please don't be shy about commenting! I've incorporated reader suggestions in the past and I'm sure I will do so in the future. Though I have changed many things to suit my story, I am trying to keep pretty close to many aspects of Dragonlance canon. If you notice a big discrepancy that I have not addressed, please don't hesitate to let me know! And.. _.keeping in mind that this is AU_ , I welcome your questions, comments, and discussions!! 


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